We have a few things aboard Avant that other cruisers see and immediately say: “We have to get one of those for our boat!” These ‘objects of intense desire’ make life aboard easier by solving simple problems simply.

One of these is our mosquito coil holder.

When we’re in a buggy place, we burn mosquito coils and use an aluminum pie plate or a dinner plate covered in foil, with the supplied folding tin holder that gets old quickly. The ash gets everywhere in the slightest breeze; it is hard to move the coil without making a mess, and if a piece of clothing touches the coil, you burn a hole in it.

Opened to insert new coil, note ash captured by fibreglass grates.

These coil holders are simple metal containers that hold a mosquito coil between two pieces of fibreglass cloth and catch the ash as they burn. You need only empty the ashes after ten or more coils; the burning end is enclosed for safety, and it’s easy to move around the boat or onto the dock without spilling the ash everywhere.

Whenever we have used them and others notice, they always want to know where to get one for their boat.

Available at many outdoor goods outlets, including Amazon and Canadian Tire. Between $5-10. Worth the money!